How This Online Marketplace Helps Clients 'Swipe Right' on Agencies

Queue a new agency selection process characterized by its flexibility. Common agency recruitment practices include a pitch—something that can be costly, time consuming and lock clients into long-term contracts. Today's clients are more likely to ask for help on individual projects than they were before, and they often want their agency partners to scale teams up or down based on project demand. To support these changing client needs, slowly but surely, the agency selection process is changing. At the same time, agencies want to simplify the lead generation process to streamline signing new clients. DesignRush, a b-to-b marketplace for creative agencies, is an example of what an alternative option looks like. The marketplace is like a dating app for agencies: it simplifies the matching process. Brands that use DesignRush include Toyota, Sony, P&G, Wix, Microsoft, McDonalds and doForms. Tinder for agencies? Creative marketplaces make it easier for clients to read reviews, get quotes quickly and decide whether or not to work with a partner if they need help with a project fast. The marketplace features five main agency categories: branding and creative, website and apps, marketing, IT services and business services. Clients can search for agencies in a particular geography—by state or country—to narrow down partners that will suit their needs. Here’s What Startups Need to Know Before Pitching Their Businesses to Ad Agencies "They can contact them directly through DesignRush, or we have their website and email on our profiles," said Gianluca Ferruggia, the platform's general manager. According to Ferruggia, the impetus for the creation of DesignRush was a new expectation of ease and convenience. "There has been a generational shift," he said, adding that before the internet, many decisions were based on personal recommendations and word of mouth. Today, people search for recommendations online. "What we said is we need to have a marketplace where we can really quantify the agencies that are with us, and then have them listed with their buyers' reviews, hourly rates, expertise, et cetera." Now, DesignRush has over 10,000 agencies in its system. While many marketplaces connect freelance or temporary employees with clients or agencies, DesignRush's directory specifically features shops. "We are looking at professional agencies. So it's bigger projects [and] more serious, bigger brands coming to our site," said Ferruggia. The marketplace makes it easier for clients to source talent for project-based assignments, but it also supports clients who are seeking years-long engagements. A new type of media consultant To get started, a brand posts an available project on the marketplace. A brand's post includes a short project brief, budget and details on what the client is seeking in a partner. DesignRush will then call the brand to understand exact project needs and scope. In some cases, it will then research the agency partners in its system to match the brand with the best options. "Our job finishes in the moment that we do the research and we connect them to up to five qualified agencies," Ferruggia said. DesignRush's utility is similar to R3, ID Comms, MediaSense and other consultancies, which guide brands during pitch processes. These consulting groups are typically charged with assembling a list of agency candidates for clients to consider inviting to pitch. DesignRush does this too, but the 10,000-plus agencies on its platform mean that small or mid-sized shops can be matched with a brand—not just the big six, although a quick search on the platform reveals that some large agency networks are also on the marketplace. Brands can also utilize DesignRush's directory to find an agency on their own if they want to skip its white-glove services. Helping agencies get business DesignRush is free for brands and agencies to use. A subscription process grants agencies access to more features, like inclusion in a marketplace directory that lets clients search agencies by name. Agencies rank organically on the site based on their reviews, portfolio samples and clients. The process benefits agencies by streamlining, and often circumventing, the traditional pitching process. For business development leaders, it makes finding new clients much easier. Once DesignRush provides a brand with a list of agency options, every agency on the list is guaranteed a call with the client. "As you know, lead generation is expensive," said Rose Klešković, development manager at Digital Silk, a boutique digital marketing agency that lists on Design Rush. "We are using DesignRush to generate leads and we have saved a generous amount of time and money by doing so." Currently, DesignRush is offering free services to those affected by the war in Ukraine by highlighting agencies based there in blog posts on its site. Agencies Need a Strong Plan for Freelancers. Here’s How to Develop One